1. Jerusalem, city of David,the place of my altar,you are in for trouble!Celebrate your festivalsyear after year.
2. I will still make you suffer,and your people will crywhen I make an altar of you.
3. I will surround you and prepareto attack from all sides.
4. From deep in the earth,you will call out for helpwith only a faint whisper.
5. Then your cruel enemieswill suddenly be swept awaylike dust in a storm.
6. I, the Lord All-Powerful,will come to your rescuewith a thundering earthquakeand a fiery whirlwind.
7. Every brutal nationthat attacks Jerusalemand makes it sufferwill disappear like a dreamwhen night is over.
8. Those nations that attackMount Zionwill suffer from hungerand thirst.They will dream of food and drinkbut wake up weary and hungryand thirsty as ever.
9. Be shocked and stunned,you prophets!Refuse to see.Get drunk and stagger,but not from wine.
10. The Lord has made you drowsy;he put you into a deep sleepand covered your head.
11. Now his message is like a sealed letter to you. Some of you say, “We can't read it, because it's sealed.”
12. Others say, “We can't read it, because we don't know how to read.”
13. The Lord has said:“These people praise mewith their words,but they never reallythink about me.They worship me by repeatingrules made up by humans.
14. So once again I will do thingsthat shock and amaze them,and I will destroy the wisdomof those who claim to knowand understand.”
15. You are in for trouble,if you try to hide your plansfrom the Lord!Or if you think what you doin the dark can't be seen.
16. You have it all backwards.A clay dish doesn't sayto the potter,“You didn't make me.You don't even know how.”
17. Soon the forest of Lebanonwill become a field with crops,thick as a forest.
18. The deaf will be able to hearwhatever is read to them;the blind will be freedfrom a life of darkness.
19. The poor and the needywill celebrate and shoutbecause of the Lord,the holy God of Israel.
20. All who are cruel and arrogantwill be gone for ever.Those who live by crimewill disappear,
21. together with everyonewho tells lies in courtand keeps innocent peoplefrom getting a fair trial.
22. The Lord who rescued Abrahamhas this to sayabout Jacob's descendants:“They will no longerbe ashamed and disgraced.
23. When they see how greatI have made their nation,they will praise and honour me,the holy God of Israel.
24. Everyone who is confusedwill understand,and all who have complainedwill obey my teaching.”